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Rangatiratanga, as defined in He Korowai Oranga, recognises that Māori are both a legitimate and an essential part of decision-making in the health and disability sector. Te Apārangi: Māori Partnership Alliance (Te Apārangi) works to ensure Māori participation and decision-making span across HealthCERT and Regulatory Assurance teams’ work programmes. Te Apārangi has written their own terms of reference. Membership includes the interim Māori Health Authority, health and disability service providers, researchers, lived experience, and sector experts. Their advice is framed by Te Tiriti of Waitangi (Te Tiriti).
Membership
View Te Apārangi members information.
Work undertaken
Standards Review, HealthCERT
Te Apārangi worked in partnership alongside HealthCERT to update Ngā paerewa Health and disability services standard (NZS 8134:2021) (Ngā paerewa). Te Apārangi’s formation was one of the steps taken to ensure Māori participation and decision-making spanned across all four phases of the standard review work programme (see section on Rangatiratanga). Te Apārangi held ultimate decision-making rights on all Māori content within Ngā paerewa.
Throughout the two-year standard review work programme, Te Apārangi members undertook a significant amount of the work to update Ngā paerewa. Their work was guided by feedback from initial scoping workshops, which reported a need for strengthened, updated and improved NZS 8134:2008 1.1.4: Recognition of Māori Values and Beliefs and Te Tiriti o Waitangi guidance and criteria throughout. Te Apārangi’s work was further informed by the experiences of Māori using health and disability services to update the standard and increase visibility of Te Tiriti throughout. Reported Māori consumer experiences of health systems and programs and the Equity of Health Care for Māori: A framework are two of the main sources with other kaupapa Māori research findings about Māori consumers being incorporated.
The result of Te Apārangi’s work can be seen throughout Ngā paerewa. Standard 1.1.4 is replaced by the new Section 1.1: Pae Ora healthy futures, which outlines service providers responsibilities under Te Tiriti in the context of the services they are providing.
Te Apārangi further authored the 34 Te Tiriti statements throughout Ngā paerewa. This is a new part of the standard designed to empower Māori to know what outcome or experience of service provision each section entitles them to as tangata whenua.
Te Apārangi additionally authored 34 criteria throughout Ngā paerewa which further embed the principles of Te Tiriti in how services are provided. These criteria are underpinned by sector guidance, which Te Apārangi drafted, and includes links to Te Tiriti training, tools and resources, to support providers as they begin to implement these updated requirements.
The Chair of Te Apārangi, Riana Manuel, further held a seat on Standard New Zealand’s P8134 Standard Development Commitee, see Phase 4: Standards New Zealand, as Acting-Chair, to maintain the link between the P8134 Committees work and Te Apārangi’s work.
Assisted Dying Services
At the request of the Ministry of Health End of Life Choice Implementation Governance Group, Te Apārangi took on an advisory role during the implementation of the End of Life Choice Act 2019. Between June 2021 and when Act came into force in November 2021, Te Apārangi were consulted and provided advice on a wide range of implementation matters, including:
- public information about assisted dying, including usage of Te Reo Māori
- collection of disability data as part of the assisted dying process
- inclusion of whānau and te ao Māori worldview in the assisted dying service
- approach to Māori engagement.
Te Apārangi is continuing to provide support and expertise now the assisted dying service is operational. The role of Te Apārangi will shift towards providing governance and strategic oversight to the assisted dying secretariat, through which Te Apārangi will support the secretariat’s role of monitoring and improving the service over time.
In particular, it is expected Te Apārangi will be involved in evaluative and quality improvement activities related to the service, and ensuring equity is central to these activities.
Te Apārangi will also support the secretariat to engage with national Māori health workforce organisations, Māori and iwi led PHOs, Māori and iwi health providers and other Māori stakeholders. This will help ensure Māori representation and participation throughout all aspects of the service.
Current work
Ngā paerewa came into force on 28 February 2022. Te Apārangi has now shifted to a governance role supporting HealthCERT to implement Ngā paerewa across the sector. Te Apārangi meets quarterly and provides direction on how HealthCERT’s internal processes and policies can give effect to the principles of Te Tiriti.
To continue to support the sector to upskill in Te Tiriti and what it means for their service delivery, Te Apārangi advised on and oversaw the development of an online eLearning module: Compliance with Te Tiriti o Waitangi requirements in Ngā Paerewa . A second eLearning module is planned to be released later this year.
Terms of Reference
For additional information view the terms of reference online.